MAYOR PEREZ CALLS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY

 AND RESPONSIBILITY REGARDING

 AFTER HOUR CONVENIENCE STORES

---MEDIA RELEASE---

(May 8, 2007)--- Mayor Eddie A. Perez says, “Hartford means business when it comes to promoting stores, including our Mom and Pop establishments.  It is also a way to show our commitment to better serving and protecting our neighborhoods and the quality of life for our residents.”

With that, Mayor Perez, Police Chief Daryl Roberts, and City Council members vowed their support of an ordinance that calls for the accountability and responsibility of neighborhood business owners that operate their shops between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.   If there are quality of life disturbances (noise, vandalism, anything that would require police to intervene) that take place either at or outside these businesses, action will be taken in order to put safety first.  Police statistics show that most of these calls come between midnight and 2:00 a.m.

Assistant Majority Leader Calixto Torres and Councilman Jim Boucher are the sponsors of this ordinance.  Government, Police, business owners, and residents who live near these after-hours shops were all consulted on what has worked elsewhere and what “best practices” could be adopted in Hartford to best protect everyone involved, including employees and customers.

Mayor Perez says, “It takes all of us working together to build stronger and more vibrant communities.  This ordinance will help ensure that the quality of life of our law-abiding residents and businesses is upheld.”

The ordinance calls for these businesses to register to operate after hours.  Depending on the number or the severity of quality of life infractions, a business could ultimately lose its privilege to stay open overnight.